


The Epilogue

by closetcellist, Decoder13, DelusionsbyBonnie, The London-in-the-Air Archival Society (sakuuya)



Series: New Adventures of the London-in-the-Air Archival Society [9]
Category: Battle for London in the Air (Roleplay)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2019-07-10 20:10:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15956627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closetcellist/pseuds/closetcellist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Decoder13/pseuds/Decoder13, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DelusionsbyBonnie/pseuds/DelusionsbyBonnie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakuuya/pseuds/The%20London-in-the-Air%20Archival%20Society
Summary: Stories (and visual aides, where applicable) from round 12 of the ex-Polyvore battle group The New Adventures of London-in-the-Air. Primarily not my work, uploaded here for archival purposes





	1. Round Information / @decoder13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by Polyvore user (and LITA creator) @decoder13, aka [Decoder13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Decoder13). It was part of the set-up for this round.

Hello, all!

  
This is Miranda, back and actually being an actual mod for one final Season 1 round (albeit 15 minutes later than planned - sorry about that!). Thank you so much again for sticking with Sakuuya and I through all of this and up through the very end. It has been our honor to mod this game for you.

  
Below are the background info and requirements for our last round, Round 12. It’s a far-future epilogue to help tie up any remaining loose ends and show where characters ultimately ended up post-Season 1. It’s also a shameless plug for LITA Season 2, coming within the next few months to… somewhere (likely a mix of e-mail, Google Docs, and Discord, but I am still open to suggestions!).

  
—————

  
BACKGROUND

  
The year is 1914. The rebellion in London-in-the-Air has been over for 21 years. The newly elected mayor is one Linus Isham (New FC: Hugh Jackman), a former minor member of the rebellion who has come a very long way from being an idealistic young etiquette teacher. Vicious civil war and obscene amounts of death and politics tend to do that to a person. Even if he is still a closet Jane Austen fan, but that is far beside the point.

  
The point is that London, as a city, has done a lot of recovering in the years since its revolution. Post-rebellion mayors, starting with Roger Ridley, have put a lot of emphasis on reforming the city’s government and institutions, cleaning up and improving London laws, and cleaning up the city and its surrounding environment in an attempt to not continue to poison everything. Basically the goal is to make sure that LITA never slips back to the level of corruption and deceit and oppressiveness it had reached before the rebellion. Of course the city’s leaders are still only human and still make their mistakes from time to time. Small-time scandals and endless gossip are inherent to any major metropolis. Yet, as a whole, LITA’s leaders have been uncommonly self-conscious due to the dark fog that has shrouded their city in the past, just as metaphorically as literally. The city has been on its best behavior.

  
Mayor Isham (Roger Ridley ditched the word “Lord” from the title shortly after his first official election to the office) is continuing the trend of upstanding mayors with minimal shadiness or scandals. Well, other than his involvement in the rebellion, of course, but that’s something that’s been generally accepted in politicians for the past couple of decades. Most of the people best qualified to lead the city were the ones directly involved in taking it back in the first place. Besides, the rebellion is now generally looked upon with a cautious smile by history.

  
Isham’s major goal for his first term in office is something that’s been somewhere on the agenda for most mayors over the past 20 years, but only recently has London as a city been in a position to reach this goal. The new mayor now plans on leading efforts to bring the national government back to its historical seat in London. A lot of his efforts to that end are focused on showcasing just how much London has grown and healed in recent years. He believes this is the final necessary step in making LITA less of a rogue city-state run by a shady oligarchy and more of an actual city that is part of an actual country again.

  
People in the city actually have mixed feelings about Mayor Isham’s attempts to make LITA less independent. After spending so long living in a sort of city-state of its own, a significant minority of London’s citizens aren’t sure they like the idea of surrendering some of their freedom and more fully reincorporating into the rest of England. But the vast majority of Londoners do agree with and support Isham’s efforts, and the new mayor’s contacts in the British government rather like him and feel like he’s suitably a reasonable leader who can be worked with productively.

  
The culmination of recent efforts to show off LITA’s newfound stability and prosperity as a city is the upcoming 1914 London International Exhibition - a colossal world’s fair to be held in London, primarily on a new platform built to house it. 19 different countries will be officially present at the fair. Artists, engineers, showman, innovators, and leaders from around the world will come together to show off their recent advancements and their visions of the future. The fair is also hoped to be a hub of international collaboration and good will amidst a particularly tense social, political, and economic environment spanning the whole of Europe at the moment. And the current plan is to have the fair conclude with the announcement that the new platform built for the fair is set to become the new home of the British government. London will once again take up its old place as its nation’s capital.

  
Of course little to nothing is going to go according to plan. But that hasn’t happened yet. It’s early in 1914, the exhibition is not yet underway, though admittedly within weeks of opening, and the world is as calm as it can be hoped to be in these fast, tumultuous, modern times. And this is where we find your characters leading up to Season 2.

  
—

  
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO

  
This final round’s distant epilogue focuses on what your character has been doing in the time between the previous wrap-up round and the start of the planned Season 2 Sakuuya and I currently have in the works. It also gives you the chance to shift focus to another main character in anticipation of Season 2, such as a child/prodigy/friend of a Season 1 character or a totally new character who either lives in London or is in town for the fair. If you think you’d want to write for the child/relative/prodigy of a Season 1 NPC in Season 2 and begin working with that in this round, please email me just to make sure it’ll work story-wise.

  
You are absolutely allowed to choose new FCs either for older S1 characters or new characters you’re introducing in this round. These will be treated as FC reserves as I plan out the NPC cast of S2, and you’ll get first dibs on them as the season starts up. Do note that you can still change FCs around up through through the end of S2 character creation. This is just a first place to indicate likely FCs so I know not to step on anyone’s toes as I design NPCs.

  
On my part, for reference, the only FCs I currently know or at least am 99% sure that I’ll be using in S2 are Sela Ward, Hugh Jackman, Alexis Bledel, Henry Cavill, Tilda Swinton, and Saoirse Ronan. As I did admittedly use up so many prime FCs in S1, I will add that the FCs of any MITA reinforcements (other than Armie Hammer or Adelaide Kane) or Low-Towners (other than Tilda Swinton, whom I’m already using as an FC for another NPC XD) are fair game to use again. Main rebellion and villain NPC FCs from S1 are off limits as a rule of thumb for now. However, if you REALLY want to use the FC of a fairly minor S1 NPC because they’d be just PERFECT for an older version of one of your S1 characters or for your S1 character’s biological child, you can talk to me about it.

  
Please note that the character you focus on in this round DOES NOT have to go on to be the main character you write about for S2. They should be someone you’re planning on or at least considering write for, but if your ideas change between now and the start of S2, that’s perfectly fine! This is just a final round to get you thinking about some ideas for what you might like to write going into the next season. Even if you’re not planning on participating in S2, though, I would still admittedly love to hear where your LITA character is in the long-term future :)

  
So, without further ado, here are the round requirements! And, of course, please feel free to email me with any questions you may have or with any extension requests as needed.

  
\--

  
NALITA ROUND 12: THE EPILOGUE (Open until 11:59 PM EDT on Monday, July 23)

  
DESCRIPTION REQUIREMENTS

[ ] IF YOU PLAN TO WRITE A NEW CHARACTER IN SEASON 2, introduce me to them briefly! What’s their name and age? What brings them to LITA? What’s their job (if they have one)? What are some of their defining traits as a person?

[ ] IF YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE WRITING FOR YOUR SEASON 1 CHARACTER IN SEASON 2, where are they 21 years after the end of LITA? Where do they live? What do they do for a living? What are the most important relationships in their life? Are they happy?

[ ] How does the character you’re focusing on feel about the current state of LITA and the coming world’s fair?

[ ] Who are your chosen FCs for any aged-up or new character(s) you focused on in this round? Would you like me to reserve those as tentative S2 faceclaims for you?

[ ] BONUS: If you’re writing for a new character, also give us a 21-years-later update for your Season 1 character. If you’re writing for your Season 1 character, also give us a short profile of someone else who is important in their life in 1914 (relative, child, spouse, best friend, mentor, mentee, colleague, etc.).

[ ] Email the group a link to your story

  
VISUAL BONUS

[ ] Make some kind of visual accompaniment to your story this round. It can be whatever you want.


	2. Round Information / @decoder13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by Polyvore user @closetcellist, AKA [closetcellist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/closetcellist).

Tom Lin wiped his hands on the already greasy rag that hung from his belt, before standing and stretching with a sigh. The gun on the cloth in front of him shined, and he smiled a little in satisfaction at a job well done, and just in time too, it seemed, as the bell above his shop jingled, signaling the return of his customer.

It didn’t take long to complete the transaction, returning the cleaned and repaired pistol to the owner, a discrete bag of coins changing hands, and the jingle of the bell indicating the shop was once again clear. Lin peered out the front window, but business didn’t seem likely to pick up and the sun was on its way down, so he locked the door and set up the closed sign. Anyone else wanting assistance from “Lin Fixes: Mechanicals Clothes Books” would have to wait until tomorrow. Now, he had other plans.

With the shop closed up, Lin headed for the back, a room lined with shelves, packed with materials--scraps of wood, spools of thread, sheaves of papers of all weights and designs, boxes of gears, screws, nails, a whole wall lined with tools of all shapes and sizes for all manner uses. He crouched and pushed one of the stacks of boxes along the floor, revealing a small trap door that led to the basement--if you knew where the holds were to climb--or a swift and painful fall if you were snooping.

A short dark climb later, Lin turned the crank on the small generator he’d carefully and painstakingly lowered into the room some seven months ago, and the ceiling lit up, turning the pitch dark hole into a fairytale workshop. It was small and just as crowded as the storeroom above, except for the workbench stuffed into the corner. On the center of the workbench, in a clear fairy ring of springs and other parts, sat a small motor. Lin always had to smile when he saw it, even if it wasn’t finished yet, and even if the Fair was coming up perhaps a little faster than he’d like. He was close, of this he was certain, and once he had the chance to show the world what he could do, nothing would ever be the same again.


	3. Helena Tyler-Curtis / @lunaofthemiste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by Polyvore user @lunaofthemiste.

Helena Amélie Tyler-Curtis was not amused. 

Of course, there were plenty of reasons why that could have happened.  There were many things she wasn’t happy about currently, but the top of the list was the bookshop.  As much as she loved the family business, there were times that she didn’t. Most of these times happened to involve her brother, Barry, who was currently hiding in the back of the shop.

She leaned over and looked down at her brother, who was immersed in a book. “Did you forget that we are  _ both _ working today?” She snapped.

Barry held up a finger, as if to silence her.  He took a minute to finish his page before answering. “You’re here for work, I’m here to emotionally support you doing the work.”

“By reading in the back?” Helena asked, challenging him.

Barry rolled his eyes. “Lena, I am studying for school, which is more you’re doing, since you haven't got a proper job or aspiration.”

Helena scowled, grabbing the book out of Barry’s hands and placing it on the highest shelf she could reach. “Have fun reading now, you prick.” She snapped.

“I’m not lying, I’ve at least got an aspiration in mechanics.” Barry pointed out, trying to reach the book.

“You mean the aspiration that showed up once the World’s Fair was announced?”

“If I need to learn mechanics to get a proper job, then I will.  It’s not boring.” Barry shrugged.

Helena rolled her eyes, walking back to the front of the shop.  It bothered her that Barry, just fifteen, could easily attach to any sort of hobby.  Before mechanics, he was interested in astronomy, and before that, chemistry. His aspirations seemed to stay within the sciences, which allowed him to have an easy future path - go to university, study, get a job.

On the other hand, Helena had no such luck.  She had no plans to go to university, despite being eighteen, because she had no real aspirations.  Any ones she did were fleeting, like wood carving, and she simply refused to waste her parents’ money on a pointless education, no matter how much her Uncle Nathan insisted.  

She had, of course, considered taking up her parents occupations.  Her father had initially worked at the bookshop before taking a job in the government.  Tristan Curtis had always been good with numbers, with her mother even calling him a prodigy, that he had worked in the Treasury and continued to work there this day.  Although he had hesitated taking the government job, he found it rewarding to give back.

Her mother, on the other hand, had a different form of employment.  Rebecca Tyler-Curtis had a way with words, something Helena had never found herself.  She wrote essays about the initial rebellion, all those years ago, before writing opinion articles.  Although she was never officially employed, many of her articles were published by the Daily Telegraph and critically acclaimed.  She wrote about issues that mattered to her, and covered any scandals she managed to uncover. Unfortunately, she had started using an alias in writing to protect the family (Helena recalled a brick being thrown through her window), but she never stopped.  In fact, her father liked posting her articles (the ones officially by her, of course) inside the store for all to see.

Helena was left without a passion, so she was stuck at Spencer’s Book Shoppe, named after her late great-uncle, until she could find something better.

The bell on the door rang as a customer entered, and she looked up to see them.  It was a young woman, a few years older than herself. She was carrying a large trunk that was well-worn, a belt strapped around the middle.  The woman herself wore a long coat and a newsboy’s cap that covered most of her curly dark brown hair. As she looked around the shop, Helena couldn’t help but notice the freckles scattered across her face.

She realized, moments later, that she was staring.  The woman took no notice, instead smiling to herself. “Well, I do love a good book shop.” She said to herself, before turning her attention to Helena. “You, there.  Are you Spencer?”

Helena took a moment to answer. “You’re referring to the name of the shop?  Bart Spencer was my great-uncle, the shop was named after him once he passed.”

The woman shrugged. “That still makes you a Spencer, if he’s your great-uncle.” Helena noticed the woman’s accent shift, it wasn’t clearly British or American, but somewhere in between.

“I suppose it does.” Helena nodded. “Though I’d refer to myself more as a Curtis and a Tyler.” She answered, adjusting her skirt. “My name is Helena, is there anything you’re looking for in particular?”

A small smile swept across the woman’s face. “Helena. Mostly purple with some pink undertones.  Perhaps even a lilac.”

“Pardon?”

The woman shrugged. “It’s a way to remember names.” She answered, and Helena could tell she was half-lying.  She had her mother to thank for that - Rebecca Tyler had a way with lies and truths, which made it near impossible to get away with anything in their house.  Still, she didn’t press, and the woman continued talking. “I’m.. new in town, I suppose, but I couldn’t resist a book shop.”

Helena nodded, smiling. “Have you found a place to live?”

“A small place on Xi.”  The woman answered, and Helena did her best not to frown.  She knew how difficult it was to find a place in London, despite living in her family’s home on Gamma for several years.  The bookshop itself was on Theta, which was still a bit better than Xi. “Once I get a practice up I’ll be able to move to a different one.”

“What do you practice, exactly?” Helena asked, though the woman was already scanning the shelves of the store instead, picking up a few books. She decided to change tactics. “Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”

The woman shrugged. “Usually anything with a good adventure, or mystery.  I’m not particularly picky, though I’ve read a lot.”

Helena nodded, frowning. “What authors do you typically read?” She asked, trying to pinpoint something the woman would like.

“Well, when I lived in Paris I read a lot of Dumas, Hugo, and some Zola, but some by Austen and Poe when I lived in Manhattan.  Like I said, I’m not particularly picky, but I lean towards adventures.”

Helena looked around the bookshop, glancing over the shelves for the books she was looking for.  Carefully, she removed them, and showed them to the woman. “Now, I’m not exactly an expert, but I think you might enjoy these, if you haven’t read them already.  The first recommendation is  _ Treasure Island _ by Stevenson, which I think you’ll enjoy.  It’s got pirates and lots of adventure, though most - if not all - the characters are…” Helena trailed off, shaking her head. “Nevermind.  The second recommendation is  _ A Study in Scarlet _ .  It’s the first of a detective series by Doyle, so there’s more if you like it.  Lots of mystery, though the detective is a bit odd.”

The woman smiled slightly. “They sound delightful, I’d be happy to take them off your hands.  How much?”

“Fifty cents will do.” Helena answered, as she headed to the small register to wrap the books up for the woman. “Are you in London for the World’s Fair, by chance?”

The woman nodded. “I wanted to move back here anyways, and the Fair seemed like a pretty good reason too.”

“It’ll be a sight to see, when it’s all put up.” Helena smiled. “My brother’s hoping someone in mechanics will take him on, see him as some sort of prodigy.”

“And you?”

Helena shrugged. “I’ll decide in a few months, when I know more.  It seems so far away now, plus the fair means the government is going to change.”

The woman frowned. “It’s going to change?”

“We’re going to be more united with England, make a proper capital I suppose.  I think they might raise a new platform up, which might be exciting.” Helena answered. “To be honest, my parents are more interested in politics than I am, especially since my father’s in government.  Perhaps he’ll move to the new platform.”

The woman seemed to be in thought, then snapped out of it. “Well, I do think I came at the right time.  It seems that trouble is right around the corner.”

“Are you looking for trouble?” Helena asked, a slight smile on her lips.  There was something about this woman that made her captivating, despite only speaking to her for a few minutes.  Of course, she knew it might just be the fact that she was looking for some sort of adventure.

The woman grinned. “I usually don’t have to look to hard for it.” She answered, placing the money on the counter and taking her books.

“Perhaps I’ll... see you around, then.” Helena smiled as she tucked her hair behind her ears, following the woman to the door.  “When the fair starts.”

The woman raised an eyebrow, considering it. “Perhaps.” She answered vaguely, taking her books and trunk and walking out the door.

Although Helena knew the encounter was strange, the woman was so interesting and mysterious that she knew she could have talked to her for hours.  Perhaps it was a drive for adventure - hearing her parents’ stories about the rebellion years ago made it seem romantic and exciting, despite all their assurances that it wasn’t.

“I can’t believe you made it through without falling over!” Barry exclaimed, having emerged from the back of the shop.  He had a smug expression that absolutely infuriated Helena.

She grabbed the book closest to her and threw it at Barry, and it would have hit him if he hadn’t ducked. “You’re a bloody nuisance.” She snapped, crossing her arms. “Were you eavesdropping the whole time?” She felt her face heat up, embarrassed.  Was Barry mocking her for actually making a sale, instead of rambling to the customers? Or was it something else entirely?

“Most of it.  Don’t worry, you at least managed to form a complete sentence.” Barry shrugged, looking at the book. “Huh.  _ The Picture of Dorian Gray _ .”

“Give that back.”

“You’re the one who threw it at me! If you can’t figure out a job, you could pitch for baseball.” Barry smirked, handing the book back to Helena, who swatted it at him.

“I wish Mum and Dad listened to me when I asked them to ship you off to boarding school.” Helena muttered, reshelving the book as another customer entered.  She turned to look at the newcomer, an attractive young man wearing a withered coat and carrying a small suitcase. “Good afternoon, sir.” She said, wondering if today was a day for travelers.

The man nodded. “And you.  Out of curiosity, how long has this bookstore been here?” He asked, and Helena noted his native London accent underneath a somewhat false American one.

Helena frowned. “At least two decades, I suppose.” She shrugged. “It’s been in the family for a while, my father inherited it after his uncle’s passing.”

“Your father?” The man asked as he continued to look around, his eyes pausing at the article of her mother’s hanging on the wall.  It was an older one, before she started using aliases, and the faded print was still very visible.

“Tristan Curtis.” Helena answered, exchanging a glance with Barry, who hadn’t spoken yet.  It wasn’t often that they had customers that knew her father that she didn’t know, but there were always exceptions.  Perhaps he was a visiting politician.

The man nodded, looking around. “Makes sense, actually.  He really did like the place, even though it was away from the action.”

“Pardon?”

He shook his head. “I knew your father years ago, we were very close before I left.”  Helena frowned at that comment, knowing that it made no sense. After all, the man looked at most ten years older than she, and she would have known him if he was as close as he claimed.

Barry interjected. “How many years ago? If it was recent, I would like to think we’d remember you.” He said somewhat rudely.  It was obvious he was also suspicious of this man.

The man jumped slightly at Barry’s interjection, and Helena couldn’t help but notice a quick glance over his shoulder. “Longer than you’d think, young man.  Is he..?”

“My brother?” Helena answered. “Yes. Now-”

“Is your mother named Rebecca?”

Helena exchanged glances with Barry once again, not at all liking the stranger. “Yes, but why does that matter?” She asked hesitantly, crossing her arms. Discreetly, she grabbed the knife her mother insisted she carry.

“I knew your parents many years ago before I left London, and I never got a chance to see them again and make things right.” The man answered. 

“I understand that, you’ve made that clear.  What that does not answer is the fact that you’re barely ten years my senior and we have no idea who you are.” Helena interrupted.

“You will, I promise.  I hope your parents remember me, as I’d very much like to see them again.” The man said carefully, looking around.  His gaze stopped, very briefly, on Helena’s concealed knife. “Please, I won’t hurt you.”

“Then tell us your identity, give us something to go off of.” Helena frowned. “If you truly know my parents, then you must understand that they’re not exactly the most trusting, and neither am I.”

“Please, I…” The man winced. “My name is Oscar Sherry, I’ve come to try and fix a years-old mistake.”

Helena knew who he was, she recognized his name from her mother’s journals, her father’s stories, and even her brother’s middle name.  As Oscar continued to explain himself, Helena realized that an adventure had walked through their door.

And it was very likely that nothing would be the same again.


	4. Dr. Jhandir / @sakuuya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by Polyvore user @sakuuya, AKA [sakuuya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakuuya).

It was a relief to enter the humid warmth of the conservatory from the chilly, clinging drizzle outside. Dr. Jhandir took deep, calming breaths, enjoying the earthy smell of the place as he hung his coat on a rack that was already quite full. His lateness was unavoidable—the airship back from Detroit had been delayed—but still grated on his nerves. He’d hoped to get in early and see to a few last-minute things before leaving for London in the morning, but the exhibition had already started by the time he landed, so all he’d done was stop home to change into evening clothes as quickly as possible.

Despite all that, there were few environments he found more calming than a greenhouse, and his mood only improved when he came across the first painting being exhibited: An open human chest cavity, its organs carved into flowers. It certainly wasn’t art that usually bore exhibiting in this space, which leaned more towards the sort of thing that wouldn’t look out-of-place in a society tea room, often painted in the conservatory or surrounding gardens. But Dr. Jhandir was on the MITA Botanical Gardens’ board, and he’d pulled some strings to book the conservatory for this exhibition.

He moved deeper into the conservatory, admiring the paintings as he went. Each was botanical in some way, be it blood scattered like rose petals or the effects of organic poisons. Dr. Jhandir had seen most of them before, of course, but seeing them nestled among the conservatory’s exotic greenery was particularly effective.

Finally, he spied Celine through the greenery, wearing a blood-red gown, and hurried in her direction. Her face lit up when their eyes met, and after, presumably, excusing herself to the couple she had been talking to, she made her way over to him. When they had closed the distance between them, Dr. Jhandir took his wife’s hands in his.

“Anil! I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t make it!” Celine said, squeezing gently. “How was Detroit?”

“The surgery went perfectly, and there are some extremely promising prostheticists out there. Their airship docks are a disgrace, though.” There was  _ plenty _ more he could have said about his trip, but tonight wasn’t his night. “Congratulations on your exhibition. Everything looks just lovely.”

“It does, doesn’t it? I’m afraid some of the guests tonight just come to the opening of every art exhibition held here, though, and they weren’t expecting me.” She laughed, her eyes sparkling. “It’s almost refreshing to have to explain myself to shocked newcomers again. My usual shows have gotten so insular. I imagine you’ve seen most of it already, but I think you deserve a formal tour.”

Celine shifted so they were side-by-side, still holding hands, and guided her husband through the conservatory, explaining the placement and flow of the paintings, intercut with happy reminiscences about their inspiration. Dr. Jhandir didn’t know what stories she’d made up to tell other people. He tried to stay focused on his wife, but it was hard when there was so much that needed to be done before they left in the morning. He’d been gone for days, and Celine must have had her hands full getting ready for this exhibition.

He really shouldn’t have flown out to Detroit for that surgery, he reflected, but the thing about having a reputation like his, the important thing, was that he had to maintain it. If he was asked to perform a particularly sensitive surgery and refused, people could interpret that as an inability to do it, or a fear of such inability. But his dedication to his craft did play hob with his schedule sometimes.

“Is everything ready for tomorrow?” he asked, apropos of nothing, when he could no longer stand to keep quiet. Celine gave him a fond look.

“You know, I was wondering how long you’d be able to resist asking,” she teased. “I should’ve thought to time you.  _ Yes _ , everything’s ready. The packing’s all done; I gave the gardeners here a key to the greenhouse and your written instructions; I’ve stopped delivery of the mail and milk and whatnot; I double-checked our departure time; Cordelia and Andrew know when we’re coming, and so does Zahida. Everything’s ready.”

Dr. Jhandir ran through his mental checklist, but short of asking for an itemized list of what she’d packed, he couldn’t think of anything Celine had missed.

“It sounds like you’ve thought of everything.”

“I told you before you left that there was nothing to worry about. But actually…” Celine’s smile turned sly. “I was thinking that, since we’re all prepared for the trip to London, we could have a guest over tonight. We’ve both been so busy lately, and we said we’d lay low in LITA.”

Dr. Jhandir should have expected as much. Exhibitions of her art, where dozens of people examined her paintings without the faintest idea how many of them were painted from life, always made Celine eager to kill. And now that he looked around, she  _ had _ led them to quite a secluded corner of the conservatory, so she must have been planning this conversation. The doctor was tired from the trip home from Detroit, though, and had been looking forward to getting a good night’s sleep in his own bed before they left for London in the morning.

“Do you have someone in mind?” he asked. In all honesty, if she  _ had _ spent the time to research a potential victim, he might have to start grilling her about how thoroughly she’d packed. There were only so many hours in the day.

“No, I haven’t had time,” Celine admitted. When she continued, she lowered her voice so much that he had to lean in to hear her. “I was thinking we could just go for a stroll and see what the city sends our way.”

The generally-welcome warmth of the conservatory was starting to feel too hot. “It’s been  _ years _ since we left things up to chance like that. It’s too dangerous. Besides, it’s awful outside. Why should anyone be out in this weather?”

“Anyone who has to be outside tonight is probably someone who wouldn’t be missed,” Celine countered. “And the weather means fewer potential witnesses, too. Come on, it’ll be just like old times!”

Those were, Dr. Jhandir had to admit, persuasive answers to his concerns—and it wasn’t as though they’d forgotten how to be careful. Perhaps this  _ was  _ the best use of their night at home. Even just thinking about it made him feel more energetic than he had all day.

He nodded. “After the exhibition closes for the night. There’s no sense in raising suspicion by having the guest of honor duck out early. I’ll leave soon to prepare and come back to pick you up.”

Celine leaned up and kissed her husband on the cheek. “Perfect.”


	5. Nora Wilson / @multifandomgal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by Polyvore user @multifandomgal.

“Hmm, ‘Mayor announces upcoming International Exhibition’…” Nora mused to herself, as she read the headlines from that morning’s newspaper. It was a relatively quiet day in the shop, so Elizabeth and Edward had left her in charge whilst they went out for a bit. Believing the coast was clear for now, Nora decided to kick back, relax, and read for a little while. Unfortunately, she was interrupted a few minutes later by a small voice, asking what she was reading.  Not thinking there was anyone home, Nora jumped out of her skin (and, yes, maybe let out a small scream), before realising that the voice only belonged to Elizabeth and Edward’s kid son. 

“Lucas! You scared me! Aren’t you supposed to be at school today?

“Sorry, Nora! I just wanted to know what you were reading. And… it’s Saturday today – why would I be at school?” Lucas replied, looking up at her with big, apologetic eyes, but still with a smile on his face. Nora stared at him for a moment before starting to laugh. “Is it really? I guess I should have checked the front of this paper, huh?” - Lucas was laughing as well now – “Wait, why didn’t your parents tell me to keep an eye on you, then?” Nora added, suddenly realising that perhaps she  _ should _ have known he was here.

“Um, I think they did, just before they left. At least, I think that’s what I heard them saying…” 

Oh, dear. Perhaps Nora had been to focused on reading to actually listen to what they were saying to her. Again. Oh well, at least nothing bad had happened because of it, and Lucas would never tell on her for something so small… or anything, really, come to think of it. “Well, I guess I forgot!” She laughed again, “Hey, want to look at this with me? They’re planning a huge fair for scientists, artists, and all kinds of other interesting people! We should definitely go!

Lucas’ eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh, that sounds fun! Maybe you could write about it as well, and get published in the paper?” Wow, this kid really was full of great ideas; this really could be Nora’s chance to become a real reporter! “Excellent plan, Lukey!” She exclaimed in reply, which earned her a slightly annoyed look from Lucas. Oh, right, she’d forgotten that he wasn’t a big fan of nicknames. She quickly apologised, and the two went back to excitedly discussing their hopes and ideas about who or what was going to be at the worlds fair, until eventually they were interrupted by a customer, then by Elizabeth and Edward returning home. Lucas immediately started telling them all about the worlds fair, and Nora smiled as she watched them for a moment, before finally being able to get back to her reading. This International Exhibition thing sure did sound great, so hopefully it was going to be just as, if not better, than Nora was hoping…


	6. Kitty Devlin / @delusionsbybonnie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by Polyvore user @delusionsbybonnie, AKA [DelusionsbyBonnie]().

Kitty Devlin swept the sheet off the dark, polished desk and hummed in approval.  “I do love a lovely clean desk, don’t you, Mick?”

The large man paused in the doorway and shrugged.  “Don't much like sitting still, Miss Kitty, but it's a nice piece of furniture.”  His American accent was still more familiar than the cultivated English tones she strove to keep, but she was sure the habits of her youth would return before long.

“That it is.” She smiled with great satisfaction and patted the desk.  “Please bring up my files, and if you see Lizzie, send her up.”

Mick nodded and ducked out of the office, leaving Kitty to survey her new domain. The current drapes were at least ten years out of style and would need to be replaced, but that would have to wait until the girls’ rooms were refitted. She folded the dust sheet and checked the desk drawers, which were empty save for a stray postage stamp and the ghostly rings of old whiskey bottles.  Kitty preferred gin.

She was trimming bright green felt to line the drawers when Lizzie tapped on the doorframe.  “All present and correct, ma'am. I've located someone to do the wallpaper and curtains, and Lila is sorting out which room will be which.  There's one already done up in Chinoiserie for the Jade Room, if you want to see it.”

“Excellent.”  Kitty smiled. “I'm sure it's lovely, and the less we have to do before the Fair opens, the fewer things can go wrong!  Does Hannah like the location? Do the windows face away from the street?”

“It's looking over the back garden.  She's already said she likes it.”

“Perfect.  Now, I still need to see about finding a few trustworthy people for security.  We'll need that, with as many new people around.” Kitty tapped her lips thoughtfully.  “Send Felicia to see what she can discover. And do tell her I'd very much like to stay on the good side of the law.  I know she has a weakness for those naughty boys.”

“I'd rather send Mrs. Quinn, ma'am.  Felicia is likely to get into too much trouble.  I'll get her to work on unpacking the parlor.”

“Yes, that's probably for the best.  Thank you, Lizzie. Can you manage the sign when the workmen arrive?  I'd like to unpack my files.”

Lizzie nodded and bustled out, and Kitty returned to the green felt.  Lizzie was such a treasure. She was an obvious choice to take over when Kitty decided to retire.  Of course, that wouldn't be for a good few years yet. Moving back to London was almost like starting over.  She felt twenty years younger already. 


End file.
